Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1887-07-21
The Democratic Attack on the G. A. r.

contend with two classes of enemies ;
viz: the Democratic rebels of the South
and the Democratic copperheads of the
North. The rebels fought bravely and
in earnest with muskets. swords. and
cannons, while their cowardly and sneak
ing Democratic brethren of the North
this does not apply to the war Demo-
Gratis, numbering about Is per cent of
the partly gave them aid and comfort
by attacking our soldiers in the rear.
This they did by keeping up a constant
attack against President Lincoln and
endeavoring by every means in their
power to throw obstacles in his way to
prevent him from succeeding in his ef-
fort to crush the Rebellion and save the
Union. They voted in Congress against
giving supplies to the soldiers. They
declared in their national platform of
1854 that the war was failure. and that
steps should be taken to bring about a
peace by surrendering to the rebels. etc.
They formed secret associations called
"Sons of Liberty" and knights of the
Golden Circle" whose object was to aid
the rebels by forming a plot to release
10000 rebel prisoners confined in Camp
Douglass, near Chicago, and turn them
loose to burn that city, as we'll as others.
Such was the war carried on against the
boys in blue by opening fire upon
them in the rear during the most critical
period in the history of our country.
Now that same party has opened Ore
on the surviving soldiers who fought to
put down the rebellion. Because they
expressed their righteous indignation al
the efforts of cOppeahead President to
return the flags to Southern ex-rebels
they helped to copture, the whole Dem
ocratic press have opened fire of black
guardism against them, Sam Cox leads
off by calling them "donkeys." The ha.
tired of union soldiers, as shown by the
coppeTheads from the firing on Sumter
to the surrender at AppOmattox,h has bro
ken out more virulently than ever. All
kinds of epithets are flung against them.
The leopard never changes is spots.
neither can the copperhead change his
hatred of the soldiers who conquered
their Southern brethren, the Democratic
rebels, and saved our glorious Union.
THE New York Sun last week con-
tained leading editorial on "The Ohio
Platform" After urging the Democrats
of this state to take such stand now
that the Presidential campaign will find
them harmonious, progressive and pow.
erful, it gives them some advice on the
two great subjects of tariff and civil
service reform. As regards the tariff, it
urges the Ohio Democrats to lead the
way for the National Democracy by the
adoption of protection plank, and
gives them the assurance that they will
have greater following than in 1884.
Concerning civil service reform, it
URGES Juou W IdhC d oGLOuB o10uu do q
body against The sham of non-partisan
appointments" If they are, it says, in+
clined to take their cue from the admin
istration, let them take it from Secreta
ry Whitney's recent utterance, after two
years of experience, that his department
would have been benefited by a clean
sweep, rather than from the utterances
of President elect, (which in many in
stances have since been relegated to in
nocuous desuetude."
The tronble about the Democracy of
Ohio accepting the advice of the Sun is
found in the fact that for many years
the State platforms explicitly favored
what is termed civil service reform. A
Democratic Senator from Ohio. on sc-
count of these endorsements, introduced
and urged the passage of what Is now
known as the Civil Ser vice Act.